Page 102 of Fatal Strike
“What I’m saying is I can’t take another breath without God. And I’m going to cling to Him even when I don’t understand why bad things happen. Because I believe good can come out of bad things. I may not see the good right away, but I trust God for it.”
A concept so foreign to Leah that she refused to ask for clarification. “I’m sorry Dylan put you through this. Did he say where he was going?”
Silvia shook her head. “Where was he shot?”
“The left shoulder area.”
She stiffened her shoulders. “The water could cause an infection. Maybe he’ll decide the running’s over and choose to turn himself in at a medical facility.” While Silvia’s words carried a theme of hopefulness, her tone sounded flat.
“That would be wise, a positive step forward,” Leah said.
“Are you going to take me home?”
“First we’ll drive to the police department. Agent Colbert and Chief of Police Everson have some questions.”
“I hate the thought of it.”
“I’ll be with you. Do you want me to contact your dental office?”
“It’s not necessary. I don’t want to miss tomorrow and have Dr. Rios and Anna scrambling.”
The nurse entered the room with the injection. Too bad she didn’t have a vial to help Silvia discern the truth about Dylan.
If there was a God, Leah hoped He comforted Silvia.
65
JON HAD SUGGESTEDfried rattlesnake for dinner at Leah’s apartment, but she nixed that idea. Her hand ached from the snakebite as she and Jon packed up the remains of their carry-out Greek food from dinner, but the reminder wasn’t a bad thing.
“What style do you call this?” He ran his fingers over the polished steel countertop and examined the brass beads at the edges.
“Steampunk.”
He stared at the table and settled on the chandelier. “I’ll need to read up on it. It’s different. All you.”
She laughed at his fumbling over her unusual tastes. “I’m not touching that.” She wiped off her dining room table and spoke her mind. “Have we been looking at this case all wrong?”
He snapped a lid on a huge plastic container of tzatziki sauce. “If we were sailing on the right waters, we’d have hit shore.”
She feigned a frown. “How long did it take you to come up with that metaphor?”
“Instantly. But I’m right there with you. Smart people with a lot of money seem to have devised a plan to send us in the wrong direction.”
She returned to the table and closed a Styrofoam container of pita bread. Her mind couldn’t wrap around what they were missing. “Since we haven’t heard from any local hospitals, Dylan’s in a lot of pain somewhere. Or dead. What are you thinking?”
Jon grabbed up the throwaways and carried them to the trash under the sink. “RememberThe Godfather? ‘Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.’ What if we’ve met the kingpin, talked to him or her? Let’s run through the list: Rachel Mendez is afraid, and she’s not the type of woman who scares easily. Zachary Everson is led by vengeance. Father Gabriel would sacrifice his own life for a bad guy. Silvia Ortega would do anything for Dylan, and I put Elena James in that category too. Dylan nearly got himself killed during his getaway today, but he probably knows who’s running the show.”
A thought hit Leah. “We’re chasing Dylan. Could it be he’s the fall guy, and the boss man is banking on us killing him? The man I shot from the ferry was a known felon, bad all the way through but not a member of a gang. His background shows a steady stream of arrests from breaking and entering to assault.” Leah tapped her fingernail on the table. “Could our kingpin have stolen the drugs from Molston Pharmaceuticals and rigged up a Veneno gang with a fake battle cry to cover up the theft? Ian Greer, Marcia Trevelle, and Judge Mendez found the evidence?”
“Well, there is someone we’ve met we haven’t considered closely.”
Leah faced him. “Who?”
“Warren Livingston.”
She shook her head. “Jon, our desperation is showing through. Warren is one of the good guys. Remember he was threatened and—”
“Perfect cover.”
